WHAT IS NASA'S MARS 2020 MISSION?

The Mars 2020 mission is part of Nasa's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet.

Nasa hopes the mission will help to answer key questions about the potential for life on Mars.

The mission also provides opportunities to gather knowledge and demonstrate technologies that address the challenges of future human expeditions to Mars, including producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, and identifying water.

The mission is timed for a launch in July/August 2020 when Earth and Mars are in good positions relative to each other for landing on Mars.

According to NASA, the new rover will have 23 cameras (artist's impression pictured)